The Inclusion of Women

As a Formula One (F1) fan, I am very aware of the ongoing conversations arising in the fan community. For those who don’t know, F1 is a race car driving where drivers try to complete a certain number of laps around the track the fastest. Though there are many controversies, the biggest one that affects me as a fan and as a future journalist is the discrimination among both fans and professionals when it comes to female involvement in the sport.

Across various social media platforms, Formula 1 has begun to trend, especially with influencers attending races because of brand deals. This newfound popularity has made the number of female fans increase substantially. Because of this, there has been much discussion about a woman’s place in a male-dominated sport. Many people claim women don’t even understand it, and that the only reason they are interested is because the drivers are attractive. Those claims are incredibly sexist and just show that as humanity grows as a society, there are still prejudices and judgments, especially in the sports industry. 

I found F1 through a Charles Leclerc (F1 driver) edit, but I’ve always been fascinated with cars. As a kid, I’d watch car shows with my dad and take pictures with random muscle cars that we’d see in the street, so excited to be around a beautiful machine. I never considered racing as a potential career option or even interest for me. I think that’s due to underexposure in America, and the societal stereotypes thrust upon young girls. And even though America hosts races and has many car meet communities, there’s still a gap of nicheness as well as the discrimination within the motorsports industry. From a marketing perspective, the exclusion of women in Formula One and even in a lot of other sports only harms the PR and success of the sports world. If you want your favorite sport to be successful, discriminating against half the world isn’t a way to get it to peak success. It just damages the culture and community image, therefore making it undesirable as an investment. 

Even if some women are interested in F1 just because the drivers are hot, what’s the issue with that? Men objectify women all the time in the sports industry. The scandalizing outfits athletic women are meant to wear in sports such as beach volleyball and gymnastics are just one example of normalized things women endure. Not to mention the unequal pay, men being prioritised in the rule-making and political aspect of sports, plus just the overall underrepresentation. At the end of the day, why judge someone’s reasons for liking something? Why minimize the audience? Sports are for everyone; that’s why Title VI was put in place, to give women equal opportunities. 

Why is it so hard for women to be included in motorsports?

Besides gender and race discrimination, the expense of motorsports and Karting (often the sport that leads into F1 and other motorsports) is a barrier, and even as a fan, Formula One is an expensive hobby. According to Finance Buzz, the average cost to attend a race, including the cost of lodging and the race itself, is $4,694. The average cost as a karting racer ranges from a couple of thousand to tens of thousands of dollars. As for being in some formula league of racing, you can just say goodbye to your bank account. The only way to not go bankrupt from racing as a driver is to get sponsors, but as a woman, it’s hard to get sponsorship because of the lack of success rate from female drivers. Lack of success is obviously due to a lack of support and resources provided. Luckily, in recent years, many people in the industry have been working to bridge the gap.

I have to praise what they’re doing with the F1 Academy. F1 Academy is the lower Formula One league for women. It builds them up and encourages promotions to upper levels, all while being in a competitive league. Susie Wolff, married to Toto Wolff, team principal of Mercedes, is the managing director of the academy. She has pushed for women to be included in F1 and has done some amazing work. 

Progressive role models like the F1 academy racers and the many F1 creators on social media are bringing attention to the sexism and other issues arising in racing. These aspects of the sport are a part of the reason why Formula One is still relevant and a positive community, and other sports could definitely take notes.